CRANLEIGH Arts Centre re-opened this week after an August break for routine maintenance with a new manager and new opening hours.

The new woman at the helm is Jenny-Anne Dexter, who has seven years of arts marketing and management experience after working at various venues including The Wyvern and Yvonne Arnaud theatres.

“I’m looking forward to working with the people here, meeting the arts centre’s supporters and kicking off the new season,” she said, explaining that she had already been impressed by the dedicated team of staff and volunteers.

Acknowledging that the centre already had a very strong base from which to develop further, she said: “I came here and could see the potential.

“I would not have taken the job if I didn’t think I could improve the place. It’s important that there is that ambition there.”

Highlighting problems faced by the centre in recent years, following the loss of staff as a result of Arts Council cuts, Jenny-Anne said: “We are now at a point where, thanks to a huge band of volunteers, we are still here and there is so much to do – there is so much this place can do. I think we are in a position where we can build on it now.”

She said she was hoping to integrate the arts centre more into Cranleigh life. “There are going to be more and more reasons to come in here in the next six months.”

Jenny-Anne said: “We’ve all got some great ideas of what we want to do.”

One thing she would like is for more benefactors or sponsors to come forward to make the wide variety of artistic and other activities on offer at the arts centre even better.

Alongside the new manager’s appointment, it was decided that the arts centre, which previously opened Monday to Saturday lunchtimes, should now remain closed on Mondays but open from 10am to 4.30pm Tuesday to Saturday. The centre will also open earlier before evening events.

“With the change of hours, we will be doing more on Saturdays,” said marketing and box office co-ordinator Katie Morris. “We have lots of family theatre that we are going to be doing in the afternoons.” In addition, she said the entre now had ‘better than ever’ facilities for the screening of films.

Cranleigh Arts Centre is a non-profit-making community arts centre and registered charity, with a small staff team and support from volunteers. A list of events, exhibitions and workshops can be found online at www.cranleighartscentre.org.

Any potential benefactors are asked to call Jenny-Anne on 01483 278001.